by Staff WritersMinneapolis MN (SPX) Mar 20, 2007
Alliant Techsystems has successfully demonstrated the robust design, mission effectiveness, and accuracy of its Precision Guided Mortar Munition (PGMM). In a guided flight test at the Yuma Proving Grounds, Yuma, Arizona, ATK scored a hit after firing PGMM from a standard 120mm mortar. The round flew approximately 2.5 miles to target and maneuvered to a precision strike, using embedded thrusters located in the body of the projectile.

"With the success of this guided flight test, ATK has ushered in the era of affordable, precision munitions for troops on the ground," said Jack Cronin, President, ATK Mission Systems Group. "PGMM isn't a promise in a presentation - it is an artfully designed precision projectile that is now a reality."

In December 2004, ATK received an initial $80 million for a system design and development (SDD) contract to give the U.S. Army an unmatched precision advantage in 120mm mortars. Since commencing work under the SDD contract, ATK has achieved a number of key program milestones, including the preliminary design review, demonstrated guided flight to the target, and the critical design review, which is currently underway. ATK is confident that with continued funding through the SDD phase of the program, it will meet all cost and schedule requirements.

"PGMM meets an existing and critical need for our nation's soldiers," continued Cronin. "It is the ideal round for urban combat because it eliminates collateral damage, is on target within seconds, and provides the stand-off range our troops need."

Intelligence Summit Takes FlakSt. Petersburg FL (UPI) Mar 09, 2007
Old pros from America's secretive world of espionage and counterterrorism emerged temporarily from the shadows to convene for a three-day "Intelligence Summit" in a downtown hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla., earlier this week. They were joined by a handful of allies from friendly countries -- mostly from Israel -- to discuss what they see as the number one threat facing Western democracies, the ever-increasing form of militant Islam and its indiscriminate use of terrorism.

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